Mars laser New Australian-developed technology could boost the chance of finding minerals, water or bacterial life on Mars and other planets.

The project, led by Dr Francis Torres at the University of Western Australia, uses a set of advanced silicon mirror resonators and high powered lasers to boost signals picked up by existing mineral detectors.

"[The signal amplifier] will allow sensors to look deeper underground and detect smaller, hard-to-find targets such as hidden mineral deposits, water aquifers and chemical signatures that could point to possible biological processes," says Torres, who reports the invention in the Journal of Applied Physics.

"The idea is to connect the amplifier to sensors in existing space exploration tools, to increase the signal of a target below the ground, selectively amplifying it above the noise created by everything else around the target."

The researchers say the technology could also enhance the detection sensitivity of Earth exploration tools and medical sensors.

Existing mineral detectors on Mars rovers and even domestic metal detectors used to find lost coins on the beach, work by generating an electromagnetic field which goes into the ground.

If the field hits a metal object a response is picked up by the detector, causing a vibration.

The strength of the signal depends on the size and depth of the target object.

"Sometimes it's too small to be picked up above the background noise of everything else around it," says Torres.

Quantum interaction

At the heart of the new amplifier are the tiny 1-millimetre by 1-millimetre silicon resonator mirrors developed by Torres, which vibrate when they pick up the vibrations from the sensor.

"We use an interaction between this mirror motion and laser light to amplify the signal in an optical cavity, an arrangement of two mirrors and a laser light bouncing back and forth between the mirrors," says Torres.

"There's a quantum interaction between the laser and the mirror motion, like a tango between dancers."

The frequency and energy of the laser causes the signal strength to be amplified, allowing the detection of targets previously too far down or too small to be picked up.

Testing underway

According to Torres, it's taken about four years to develop special mirrors with the right shape, structure and quality to do the job.

The technology is now being trialled in vacuum tanks, and on laser and optical tools at a test facility at the Gravity Discovery Centre north of Perth.

"The testing was really tricky," says Torres.

"How do you hold it? How do you excite it? How do you measure it? And how can you make sure that you have the right shape and vibration?".

At the moment, Torres is measuring the amount of signal being received by the first prototype, which is called a 'Framplifier'.

"We call it a Framplifier because people kept asking: 'Hey Francis how's the amplifier going?'."

Torres believes the new device will help in the search for water when it comes time to colonise Mars.

"At this stage it's a little early to send my mirrors out into space, however I dream of seeing Mars rover-like vehicles exploring other worlds and using the Framplifier," says Torres.